Allotments across area will come under threat

AS chairman of Littlehampton Allotment and Leisure Gardens Association, I wish to clarify some points made by Peter Herbert, town clerk, regarding Worthing Road allotments (Gazette, August 6).
By The Newsroom
Published 20th Aug 2009, 13:49 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 00:51 BST

Whilst it is correct we have had meetings with the town council regarding the development of a doctors' surgery/health centre, those discussions have centred on the north Littlehampton development.

However, through the diligence of one of our committee members, it was established that the town council is still pressing on with the development of a surgery/health centre.

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Any building will result in plot holders being displaced and a net reduction of plots on Worthing Road allotments. Despite a long waiting list for allotments, the town council has actively been holding plots back in order to provide displaced plot holders with an alternative area.

The town council cannot get its head around the fact that, by building on this site, it is effectively reducing the number of available plots '“it should be of concern to all residents of Littlehampton that such people are managing the town's budget.

I should also point out there is no fallow land on Worthing Road. The land Mr Herbert is referring to is already designated allotments, and has been for many years. Originally the land belonged to the church authorities and was worked as allotments. At one stage, the church tried to sell the land, to no avail, and eventually the town council purchased it with a covenant which does not allow the council to build on it.

The only reason this land is not being worked as allotments is because the council has been dragging its feet. The Worthing Road site has been worked as allotments since well before the war, so we are talking at least 70 years.

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The responsibility for finding new plots for displaced plot holders should lie with the developer and not the town council, so perhaps Mr Herbert can explain why the council is being so accommodating?

The association will, on behalf of all plot holders, continue to press to save this site, and remember, it will not be just about saving Worthing Road '“ given time, other sites could well be under threat.

Glyn Allen

Parkside Avenue

Littlehampton

Editor's note: the use of the word "fallow" in our story was my choice '“the land is currently not being used, so it seems a fair definition.

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